Ultra-low temperature storage and dispensing system

ABSTRACT

A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing temperature sensitive items is provided. The system includes a storage chamber, a dispensing chamber, an electro-mechanical module, and a cooling system. The storage chamber has walls defining plural compartments formed integrally therein for storing the temperature sensitive items at an ultra-low temperature. Each compartment is formed as a cylindrical sector with an inclined bottom surface. The plural compartments are arranged circumferentially around a vertical axis and stacked together in one or more rows, thereby an individual temperature sensitive item is slidable out of a respective compartment to the dispensing chamber by gravitational force. The electro-mechanical module is configured to rotate the storage chamber about the vertical axis. The storage chamber does not include any mechanical or electrical components inside, which avoids the need for devices that can tolerate an extremely low temperature environment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to an ultra-low temperaturestorage and dispensing system, and particularly relates to a system forstoring temperature sensitive pharmaceutical or biological items, suchas medicines, biological samples, or vaccines, at ultra-low temperatureand dispensing thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),research institutions, universities, government laboratories, andpharmaceutical companies around the world engage in the research to finda vaccine that can effectively shield and protect the people from theCOVID-19. As of early January 2021, according to the information fromthe World Health Organisation (WHO), there are 63 vaccines in clinicaldevelopment and another 172 vaccines in pre-clinical development. Amongall, Pfizer and Moderna both announced promising clinical results,offering hope that the COVID-19 pandemic can end soon. However, the twovaccines require to be kept frozen at ultra-low temperature. ThePfizer's vaccine has to be stored at −70° C. (−94° F.), and the Modernavaccine at −20° C. (−4° F.). If the vaccine is not kept at such a lowtemperature, the messenger RNA (mRNA) may break down, and the vaccine'seffectiveness is affected.

The mRNA vaccine technology is new, and no mRNA vaccines have ever beenapproved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) beforethe SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In the future, other vaccines using the mRNAtechnology may also have a similar challenge. In particular, when avaccine is urgently needed, the development of the vaccine may notcomplete the stress test on various storage temperatures and may requirea freezing temperature to ensure that the mRNA is not broken downeasily. A system for ultra-low temperature storage and dispensation isrequired for earlier deployment of the vaccine.

In view thereof, a well developed cold chain for delivering, storing,and dispensing the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is challenging and expensive. Theultra-low temperature environment is required to not only provide such alow temperature but also to continuously maintain that temperatureaccurately and reliably. Any temporary loss of cooling could potentiallyweaken or damage the vaccine, rendering ineffective vaccination. Manyrefrigeration systems known in the art have the common structure of thesealing door that may temporarily increase the temperature of theenclosure (or part of the enclosure) when the sealing door is opened forloading and unloading of the vaccine. There is no mechanism that caneffectively minimize the chance of temperature fluctuations.

If any conveyor belts or robotic arms are used for picking up thevaccine from the storage, such conveyor belts and robotic arms should beable to sustain an ultra-low temperature environment. However, inreality, most commercial-off-the-shelf electrical devices and mechanicalparts cannot tolerate a hostile operation environment and cannotfunction properly at an extremely low temperature environment. Onlythose specifically designed components for aerospace applications orresearch can be applied to the refrigeration system. Therefore, it ispractically infeasible to design a conveying system for pickup up thevaccine from the storage and to transport the vaccine to the medicalpractitioner for administration.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system that seeks toaddress at least some of the above problems and limitations in storingpharmaceutical or biological items at ultra-low temperature anddispensing thereof. Furthermore, other desirable features andcharacteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detaileddescription and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Provided herein is an ultra-low temperature storage and dispensingsystem. It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a systemfor storing pharmaceutical or biological items, such as medicines,biological samples, or vaccines, at ultra-low temperature, anddispensing thereof conveniently while minimizing the risk of handlingerrors and temperature rise of other items in the storage chamber.

In accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, astorage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing temperaturesensitive items is provided. The system comprises a storage chamber, adispensing chamber, an electro-mechanical module, and a cooling system.The storage chamber has walls defining plural compartments formedintegrally therein for storing the temperature sensitive items at anultra-low temperature. Each compartment is formed as a cylindricalsector with an inclined bottom surface. The plural compartments arearranged circumferentially around a vertical axis and stacked togetherin one or more rows, thereby an individual temperature sensitive item isslidable out of a respective compartment to the dispensing chamber bygravitational force. The dispensing chamber is configured to receive thetemperature sensitive items from the storage chamber and move thetemperature sensitive items to an outlet for collection. Theelectro-mechanical module is configured to rotate the storage chamberabout the vertical axis, thereby the storage chamber does not includeany mechanical or electrical components inside. The storage chamber issurrounded by a thermal-insulating circumferential wall with one or moredoor assemblies on the thermal-insulating circumferential wall operableto allow the individual temperature sensitive item to slide from therespective compartment to the dispensing chamber.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, theelectro-mechanical module comprises a motor shaft and one or moremounting plates for attaching the storage chamber to the motor shaft totransfer a rotational movement to the storage chamber.

Preferably, the electro-mechanical module comprises a servo motor or astepping motor. Alternatively, the electro-mechanical module comprises aprime motor and a reduction gear assembly, wherein the prime motor is adirect current motor or an alternating current motor.

Preferably, the electro-mechanical module and the storage chamber areseparated by a thermal insulating plate such that the electro-mechanicalmodule operates at a temperature higher than the ultra-low temperature.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thecooling system has a first cooling module and a second cooling module.The first cooling module is configured to cool the storage chamber tothe ultra-low temperature. The second cooling module is configured tocool the dispensing chamber to a low temperature.

Preferably, the cooling system comprises a compressor, a condenser, anaccumulator, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thesystem further comprises a temperature feedback control unit configuredto periodically sense temperatures of the storage chamber and thedispensing chamber and adjust the cooling system for maintaining thestorage chamber at the ultra-low temperature and the dispensing chamberat the low temperature.

Preferably, the temperature feedback control unit comprises a pluralityof temperature sensors positioned at a plurality of locations on aperipheral surface of the storage chamber for determining thetemperature of the storage chamber. The plurality of temperature sensorsis selected from a group consisting of a thermocouple, a resistancetemperature detector, and a thermistor.

Preferably, the temperature feedback control unit comprises one or moredispenser temperature sensors positioned to determine the temperature ofthe temperature sensitive items in the dispensing chamber. The one ormore dispenser temperature sensors are selected from a group consistingof a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, a thermistor, andan infrared temperature sensor.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thesystem further comprises a display module configured to display thetemperatures of the storage chamber and the dispensing chamber.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thedispensing chamber comprises a vertical reciprocating mechanism and atray, and the vertical reciprocating mechanism moves the tray verticallyto one or more positions corresponding to the one or more rows of thestorage chamber.

Preferably, the vertical reciprocating mechanism comprises a conveyorbelt, a hydraulic cylinder, a lead screw, a ball screw, or anelectrically driven push pull rod for moving the tray vertically.

Preferably, the vertical reciprocating mechanism comprises a positionalignment device positioned at a bottom side of the tray for detectingone or more position alignment marks to align the tray to the one ormore door assemblies.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, anindividual door assembly comprises a sliding door, one or more push pullrods, and a control unit.

Preferably, the control unit is configured to move the sliding dooralong a sliding rail between an open position and a close position.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, theinclined bottom surface has one or more holes disposed therethrough forallowing air circulation between each of the plural compartments.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thetemperature sensitive items are vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thesystem further comprises a main control unit configured for activatingthe electro-mechanical module to rotate the storage chamber; couplingcontrol signals to the one or more door assemblies and the dispensingchamber for moving the temperature sensitive items from the storagechamber to the outlet; and controlling the cooling module based ontemperature data from the temperature sensors.

Preferably, the main control unit comprises a feature extraction moduleconfigured to analyze the temperature data by extracting a maximumtemperature or an average temperature from each temperature sensors,wherein the feature extraction module performs time-domain analysis onthe temperature data.

Preferably, the time-domain analysis determines a standard deviation anda peak-to-peak temperature difference for each temperature sensors overa short period of time.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, thesystem further comprises a wireless communication interface connected tothe main control unit and configured for communicating with externaldevices or a cloud database.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention aredisclosed as illustrated by the embodiments hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The appended drawings contain figures to further illustrate and clarifythe above and other aspects, advantages, and features of the presentdisclosure. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict onlycertain embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended tolimit its scope. It will also be appreciated that these drawings areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendepicted to scale. The dotted lines in the drawings are used to indicatethe internal structures that may not be seen from the external view. Thepresent disclosure will now be described and explained with additionalspecificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the ultra-low temperaturestorage and dispensing system in accordance with certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the temperature sensorsarranged on the storage chamber in accordance with certain embodimentsof the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of theelectro-mechanical module of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electro-mechanical module inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of the coolingsystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A is a fragmentary perspective view of the storage chamber and thedoor assembly in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6B is a top view of the fragmentary storage chamber and the doorassembly of FIG. 6A; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the dispensing chamber ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the ultra-low temperature storageand dispensing system in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the disclosure or its application and/or uses. Itshould be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. Thedetailed description will enable those of ordinary skilled in the art toimplement an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure withoutundue experimentation, and it is understood that various changes ormodifications may be made in the function and structure described in theexemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) thatmay cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of any or all of the claims. The invention isdefined solely by the appended claims including any amendments madeduring the pendency of this application and all equivalents of thoseclaims as issued.

As used herein, the term “ultra-low temperature” refers to a temperaturerange from about −10° C. (−14° F.) to about −150° C. (−238° F.), andpreferably from −18° C. (−0.4° F.) to −100° C. (−148° F.), and morepreferably from −50° C. (−58° F.) to −80° C. (−112° F.).

The term “low temperature” refers to a temperature range from about 0°C. (−32° F.) to about 10° C. (50° F.), and more preferably from 2° C.(35.6° F.) to 8° C. (46.4° F.).

The term “ambient temperature” refers to a normal room temperature. Forthe purpose of the present invention, the ambient temperature means atemperature range from about 10° C. (50° F.) to about 40° C. (104° F.),and more preferably around 25° C. (77° F.).

The term “compressor” refers to a device for effecting compression of afluid. Generally, the compressor is powered by an electric motor.

The term “refrigerant” refers to a fluid in a cooling system whichundergoes changes in temperature, pressure, and possibly phase to absorbheat at a lower temperature and reject it at a higher temperature.

The term “medicine”, as used herein, is intended to be a generic termreferring to, but not limited to, drugs, pills, fluid, chemicals,vitamins, supplements, minerals, ampoule, and the like, in any and allvariety of vessels. A medicine may be in any state of matter (e.g.,solid, liquid, gas, or any combinations thereof) and may include acombination of one or more medicines.

The term “cloud”, as used herein, is construed and interpreted in thesense of cloud computing or, synonymously, distributed computing over anetwork unless otherwise specified. The term “server” is interpreted inthe sense of computing. The term “database” may be, for example,electrical circuits, hard disks and/or other solid-state disks forstoring data. Generally, a server is equipped with one or moreprocessors for executing program instructions, and/or one or morestorages for storing data. The server may be a standalone computingserver or a distributed server in the cloud.

Terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, and variations thereofare used herein for ease of description to explain the positioning of anelement, or the positioning of one element relative to another element,and are not intended to be limiting to a specific orientation orposition. A vertical axis A is defined by the gravity as shown in FIG.1, extending from the top to the bottom of the storage and dispensingsystem 10. Furthermore, a horizontal axis B that is substantiallyperpendicular to the vertical axis A is also defined. Terms such as“first”, “second”, and variations thereof herein are used to describevarious elements, regions, sections, etc. and are not intended to belimiting.

Terms such as “connected”, “in communication”, “mounted”, and variationsthereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirectconnections, communication and mountings; and are not restricted toelectrical, physical or mechanical attachments, connections, ormountings.

The present disclosure generally relates to an ultra-low temperaturestorage and dispensing system. More specifically, but withoutlimitation, the present disclosure relates to a system for storingtemperature sensitive items at ultra-low temperature and dispensing thetemperature sensitive items.

The storage and dispensing system (hereinafter referred to as “system”)10 of the present disclosure forms a crucial part of the cold-chain forthe temperature sensitive items. The cold-chain is atemperature-controlled supply chain that includes equipment andprocedures for transporting, storing, and handling the temperaturesensitive items from the time they are manufactured to dispensed foruse. In certain embodiments, the temperature sensitive items arepharmaceutical or biological items, such as medicines, biologicalsamples, specimen, or vaccines. In particular, the present disclosure ismotivated by the need for an improved storage for storing the vaccinesfor coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at ultra-low temperature, with adispensing module that allows the user, such as a medical practitioner,to conveniently collect the vaccine from the storage for administrationwhile minimizing the risk of handling errors and temperature rise ofother stored vaccines.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the system 10 for storing anddispensing temperature sensitive items according to certain embodimentsof the present disclosure. The system 10 includes a dispensing chamber100, an electro-mechanical module 200, a storage chamber 300, and acooling system 400. The cooling system 400 is positioned above thestorage chamber 300 and configured to provide a cooling effect to thestorage chamber 300 and the dispensing chamber 100. In order to ensurethat the storage chamber 300 is suitable for keeping or preserving thetemperature sensitive items for an extended period of time, thetemperature of the storage chamber 300 is maintained at an ultra-lowtemperature. For the case of Pfizer's vaccine for COVID-19, the storagechamber 300 is maintained at −70° C. (−94° F.).

Considering the required temperature range for storing the temperaturesensitive items, the enclosed area inside the storage chamber 300 ismaintained at an extremely low temperature environment. It is difficultto source suitable mechanical parts or electrical and electroniccomponents that can tolerate such a hostile operating environment. Inview thereof, the storage chamber 300 of the present disclosureadvantageously does not include any mechanical or electrical componentsinside. Furthermore, the system 10 allows the user to select one or moretemperature sensitive items from the storage chamber 300 and collect theselected item for use.

The storage chamber 300 is generally cylindrical in shape, with adispensing chamber 100 longitudinally connected to the storage chamber300 and fitted to a curved peripheral surface. The storage chamber 300is configured to store plural temperature sensitive items. When a userselects to dispense any item from the system 10, the item is transferredfrom the storage chamber 300 to the dispensing chamber 100 forcollection. Particularly, the dispensing chamber 100 comprises a tray110 and is configured to receive the temperature sensitive items fromthe storage chamber 300 and move the temperature sensitive items to anoutlet 120 for collection. In certain embodiments, the tray 110 ismovable vertically for conveying the temperature sensitive items to theoutlet 120, where the user can open a door 121 to collect.

Also referring to FIG. 2, the storage chamber 300 is preferablypartitioned by a plurality of walls 313 to define plural compartments310 formed therein, each compartment 310 stores one or more temperaturesensitive items therein at an ultra-low temperature. Preferably, eachcompartment 310 is formed as a cylindrical sector with an acute angle. Anumber of compartments 310 are arranged on the same vertical positionand circumferentially around a vertical axis A to form a circular layerof compartments 305. One or more circular layers of compartments 305 arestacked together such that the storage chamber 300 has one or more rows.In certain embodiments, the acute angle of each compartment 310 is 36degrees, then each circular layer of compartments 305 may comprise tencompartments 310.

The dispensation of the temperature sensitive items is enabled byrotating the storage chamber 300 to a direction that aligns a particularcolumn of compartments 310 with the dispensing chamber 100. By anaccurate control of the rotation of the storage chamber 300, a differentcolumn of compartments 310 can be selected to engage with the dispensingchamber 100. In certain embodiments, all the compartments 310 in thestorage chamber 300 are rotatable as a whole as they are formedintegrally. The rotation of the storage chamber 300 does not require anymechanical structure inside the storage chamber 300. Instead, thestorage chamber 300 is rotated about the vertical axis by theelectro-mechanical module 200, which is preferably positioned under thestorage chamber 300.

In certain embodiments, the electro-mechanical module 200 and thestorage chamber 300 are separated by a thermal insulating plate 540 suchthat the electro-mechanical module 200 operates at a temperature higherthan the ultra-low temperature. Preferably, the electro-mechanicalmodule 200 operates at ambient temperature. Therefore, theelectro-mechanical module 200 can use standard commercial-off-the-shelfmechanical parts and electrical components without the need of sourcingcomponents with high thermal tolerance.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of theelectro-mechanical module 200 for rotating the storage chamber 300.Although the illustrated embodiment is performing a rotation in ananti-clockwise direction, it is apparent that the rotation may also bein a clockwise direction or both directions. The electro-mechanicalmodule 200 comprises a motor shaft 210 and one or more mounting plates220 for attaching the storage chamber 300 to the motor shaft 210 totransfer a rotational movement to the storage chamber 300. The one ormore mounting plates 220 may be welded to or otherwise fixed to thethermal insulating plate 540 in such a way as to firmly connect the oneor more mounting plates 220 to the storage chamber 300. In oneembodiment, the electro-mechanical module 200 may comprise a servo motoror a stepping motor. The servo motor or the stepping motor may furtherbe connected to one or more reduction gear or the like. In anotheralternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the electro-mechanicalmodule 200 may comprise a prime motor 231 and a reduction gear assembly232. The prime motor 231 can be any suitable electric motor selectedfrom an alternating current (AC) motor, a brushed direct current (DC)motor, a brushless DC motor, a permanent magnet DC motor, and the like.For cooling down the electro-mechanical module 200 to avoidover-heating, a fan and a plurality of ventilation openings (not shown)may be provided.

Turning now to the cooling system 400 of a preferred embodiment of thepresent disclosure as illustrated in FIG. 5, the cooling system 400includes two substantially identical cooling modules, referred to asfirst cooling module 410 and second cooling module 420. A single-stagevapor-compression refrigeration system is used as an example. The firstcooling module 410 is configured to cool the storage chamber 300 to theultra-low temperature, for example, −70° C. (−94° F.) or lower.Similarly, the second cooling module 420 is configured to cool thedispensing chamber 100 to the low temperature, for example, 8° C. (46.4°F.) or lower.

In the first cooling module 410, a first refrigerant is in fluidcommunication through the conduits 418 of the first cooling module 410.A first compressor 411 compresses the first refrigerant and isoperatively connector to a first condenser 412. The first condenser 412is a heat exchange that cools and condenses the first refrigerant fromthe first compressor 411. A first condenser fan 413 directs ambient airacross the condenser 412 to facilitate heat transfer from the firstrefrigerant to the surrounding environment. The first refrigerant thenflows through an expansion valve 414, where the first refrigerantexpands to a low pressure and a low temperature. The cold firstrefrigerant then flows through the first evaporator 415, which isanother heat exchange that is configured to absorb heat from the storagechamber 300. A first cooling fan 416 is used to facilitate the coolingeffect and direct the cool air into the storage chamber 300. Afterpicking up the heat in the first evaporator 415, the first refrigerantreturns to the first compressor 411 through a first accumulator 417 tocomplete the first refrigeration system.

In the second cooling module 420, a second refrigerant is in fluidcommunication through the conduits 428 of the second cooling module 420.A second compressor 421 compresses the second refrigerant and isoperatively connector to a second condenser 422. The second condenser422 is a heat exchange that cools and condenses the second refrigerantfrom the second compressor 421. A second condenser fan 423 directsambient air across the condenser 422 to facilitate heat transfer fromthe second refrigerant to the surrounding environment. The secondrefrigerant then flows through an expansion valve 424, where the secondrefrigerant expands to a low pressure and a low temperature. The coldsecond refrigerant then flows through the second evaporator 425, whichis another heat exchange that is configured to absorb heat from thedispensing chamber 100. A second cooling fan 426 is used to facilitatethe cooling effect and direct the cool air into the dispensing chamber100. After picking up the heat in the second evaporator 425, the secondrefrigerant returns to the second compressor 421 through a secondaccumulator 427 to complete the second refrigeration system.

It is apparent that the cooling system 400 may be implemented by otherconfigurations other than the single-stage vapor-compressionrefrigeration system without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure. For example, the cooling system 400 may employ acascade configuration, a multi-stage configuration, or otherconfigurations.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 10 of the present disclosurefurther comprises a temperature feedback control unit configured toperiodically sense temperatures of the storage chamber 300 and thedispensing chamber 100, and to adjust the cooling system 400 formaintaining the storage chamber 300 at the ultra-low temperature and thedispensing chamber 100 at the low temperature. The temperature feedbackcontrol unit comprises a plurality of temperature sensors 520 positionedat a plurality of locations on a peripheral surface of the storagechamber for determining the temperature of the storage chamber 300, andone or more dispenser temperature sensors 521 positioned to determinethe temperature of the temperature sensitive items in the dispensingchamber. In certain embodiments, the plurality of temperature sensors520, 521 is selected from a group consisting of a thermocouple, aresistance temperature detector, and a thermistor. In the storagechamber 300, each temperature sensor 520 has a measuring end arrangedinside the storage chamber 300 for obtaining an accurate measurement ofthe temperature inside, and a non-measuring end of the temperaturesensor 520 clamped or otherwise affixed outside the storage chamber 300in a way that the operation of the temperature sensor 520 is notaffected by the extremely low temperature environment of the storagechamber 300. For the dispenser temperature sensor 521, it is selectedfrom a group consisting of a thermocouple, a resistance temperaturedetector, a thermistor, and an infrared temperature sensor. Preferably,the one or more dispenser temperature sensors 521 are configured tomeasure the temperature of the dispensing chamber 100 and thetemperature sensitive item on the tray 110. All the temperaturemeasurements are transmitted to a main control unit 500 for feedbackcontrol, which will be detailed. In certain embodiments, the system 10has a display module 510 configured to display the temperatures of thestorage chamber 300 and the dispensing chamber 100.

Now referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the storage chamber 300 and the doorassembly 320 are illustrated. As discussed, the storage chamber 300 hasa plurality of walls 313 defining plural compartments 310 formedintegrally therein for storing the temperature sensitive items. Eachcompartment 310 is formed by two side walls 313A, 313B sandwiching theenclosed area, which is maintained at an extremely low temperatureenvironment. The two side walls 313A, 313B diverge from the verticalaxis A to the peripheral surface of the storage chamber 300. The bottomside of the compartment 310 is an inclined bottom surface 311 that isinclined by a pre-determined angle from a plane defined by thehorizontal axis B. The pre-determined angle can be an angle thatprovides a sufficient gravitational force to the temperature sensitiveitem to slide down along the inclined bottom surface 311. In certainembodiments, the pre-determined angle is in a range between 20 degreesto 50 degrees. On the inclined bottom surface 311, there is provided oneor more holes 312 disposed therethrough for allowing air circulationbetween each of the plural compartments 310. Therefore, the cool airfrom the first cooling module 410 can pass through the one or more holes312 on the inclined bottom surface 311 and maintain the temperature ofall compartments 310 at the desired temperature range.

The storage chamber 300 is surrounded by a thermal-insulatingcircumferential wall 330 with one or more door assemblies 320 on thethermal-insulating circumferential wall 330 operable to allow thetemperature sensitive item to slide from the respective compartment 310to the dispensing chamber 100 by the gravitational force. In viewthereof, no mechanical part or robotic device is required for moving thetemperature sensitive item from the storage chamber 300 to thedispensing chamber 100, which can also minimize the risk of handlingerrors and temperature rise of other temperature sensitive items in thestorage chamber 300. Furthermore, the user is also not exposed to therisk of operational safety by reducing the need of handling such anextremely low temperature environment.

The thermal-insulating circumferential wall 330 is arranged to enhancethe thermal insulation effect of the storage chamber 300. In certainembodiments, the thermal-insulating circumferential wall 330 is formedof one or more insulators, such as fiberglass, polystyrene, polyurethanefoam, vacuum insulation layer, and the like.

In certain embodiments, the one or more door assemblies 320 are providedvertically in the form of a column at positions corresponding to the oneor more rows of the storage chamber 300, which are equivalent to thevertical positions of each circular layer of compartments 305. Eachindividual door assembly 320 comprises a sliding door 323, one or morepush pull rods 322, and a control unit 321. The sliding door 323 ispreferably an insulated door arranged for permitting egress of thetemperature sensitive item from the respective compartment 310. Thecontrol unit 321 further comprises one or more pulleys and an actuatorfor moving the sliding door 323 along a sliding rail 324 between an openposition and a close position.

For example, when the user wants to collect the temperature sensitiveitem from a particular compartment 310, the electro-mechanical module200 rotates the storage chamber 300 to an angle that aligns thatparticular compartment 310 with the sliding door 323. Next, the doorassembly 320 of the respective row of that compartment 310 is actuatedand pulls the sliding door 323 along the sliding rail 324 to an openposition, thereby the temperature sensitive item can slide out of thecompartment 310 to the dispensing chamber 100.

In FIG. 7, a fragmentary view of the dispensing chamber 100 is depicted.The dispensing chamber 100 comprises a vertical reciprocating mechanismand a tray 110 moveable along a frame 140. The frame 140 limits themovement of the tray 110 to a vertical direction substantiallyequivalent to the vertical axis A. The tray 110 has one or more verticalguiding means 141 to support the tray 110 at a position along the frame140. The vertical reciprocating mechanism is configured to move the tray110 vertically to one or more positions, wherein the one or morepositions corresponding to the vertical positions of the one or morerows of the storage chamber 300. In certain embodiments, the verticalreciprocating mechanism comprises a position alignment device 150positioned at a bottom side of the tray 110 for detecting one or moreposition alignment marks under the one or more door assemblies 320,thereby the tray 110 can align with the one or more door assemblies 320.The position alignment device 150 is further configured to communicatewith the main control unit 500 for determining the vertical position ofthe tray 110.

In certain embodiments, the tray 110 further comprises a slider 130positioned above the tray 110, and in the vicinity of the boundarybetween the tray 110 and the door assembly 320. Therefore, the slider130 provides a support for the temperature sensitive item to slide downfrom the compartment 310 to the tray 110. The vertical reciprocatingmechanism may be any of various conventional mechanisms capable ofrealizing vertical reciprocating movements, such as a conveyor belt, ahydraulic cylinder, a lead screw, a ball screw, or an electricallydriven push pull rod.

Electrical power can be supplied to the system 10, which can be suppliedfrom a battery, a power outlet, or alternatively through a voltageregulator. Interconnecting wiring and cables, power supply housing, andother electronic parts may be used and may be positioned at variouslocations throughout the system 10 for providing power to at least theelectro-mechanical module 200, the dispensing chamber 100, the doorassemblies 320, and the cooling system 400. For convenience andsimplicity, the electrical power and the respective electronic partshave not been shown in the figures.

FIG. 8 shows a block diagram illustrating the system 10 according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 10 isgenerally controlled by a main control unit 500, which is configured toreceive one or more control signals from a control panel 530. The usercan use the control panel 530 to adjust the temperature and dispense anitem from the storage chamber 300. The main control unit 500 couplescontrol signals to activate the electro-mechanical module 200 and rotatethe storage chamber 300 to a particular angle. The main control unit 500also couples control signals to the dispensing chamber 100 to move thetray 110 in a particular vertical position, such that when thecorresponding door assembly 320 is actuated, the item in the compartment310 can slide down to the tray 110.

The temperatures of the storage chamber 300 and the dispensing chamber100 are detected by the temperature sensors 520, which periodicallyfeedback the temperature data to the main control unit 500. In certainembodiments, the main control unit 500 includes a feature extractionmodule 501 configured to analyze the temperature data. The featureextraction module 501 extracts a maximum temperature or an averagetemperature from each temperature sensors 520. The feature extractionmodule 501 performs time-domain analysis on the temperature data.Preferably, the time-domain analysis determines the standard deviationand peak-to-peak temperature difference for each temperature sensors 520over a short period of time, such as 1 to 10 minutes, for determiningthe overall cooling condition of the storage chamber 300.

The cooling module 400 is controlled by the main control unit 500 basedon the temperature data from the temperature sensors 520, such that thetemperatures of the storage chamber 300 and the dispensing chamber 100are maintained relatively stable at the desired temperature range. Adisplay module 510, including at least a display driver and a displaypanel, is also connected to the main control unit 500 for displaying atleast the temperature of the storage chamber 300. In certainembodiments, the display module 510 is a touch screen panel which canalso receive control signals from the user.

The system 10 of the present disclosure may be operable as an Internetof things (IoT) device, as the main control unit 500 is furtherconnected to a wireless communication interface 550 for communicatingwith external devices or a cloud database. In such embodiment, thewireless communication interface 550 is configured to support one ormore communication protocols, including cellular radio connections,Bluetooth, Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN), and Near FieldCommunication (NFC). In case the system 10 does not haveInternet-connectivity or a wireless network is not present, the system10 may first be connected to other communication devices, such asexternal data transmitter, cell phones, desktop computers, laptopcomputers, or tablet computers, etc., and then connected to the Internetvia the communication devices.

By operating as an IoT device, the system 10 can provide a report toexternal devices, wherein the report comprises temperature data of thestorage chamber 300 and the dispensing chamber 100, the inventorystatus, error records, and other device information. The user can alsouse an external device to control the system 10 remotely by adjustingthe rotational speed of the electro-mechanical module 200, andcontrolling the temperature of the storage chamber 300 and thedispensing chamber 100.

This illustrates the storage and dispensing system for storing anddispensing temperature sensitive items in accordance with the presentdisclosure. It will be apparent that variants of the above-disclosed andother features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combinedinto many other devices. The present embodiment is, therefore, to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Thescope of the disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather thanby the preceding description, and all changes that come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended tobe embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A storage and dispensing system for storing anddispensing temperature sensitive items, the system comprising: a storagechamber having a plurality of walls defining plural compartments formedintegrally therein for storing the temperature sensitive items at anultra-low temperature, each compartment being formed as a cylindricalsector with an inclined bottom surface, the plural compartments beingarranged circumferentially around a vertical axis and stacked togetherin one or more rows, thereby an individual temperature sensitive item isslidable out of a respective compartment by gravitational force; adispensing chamber configured to receive the temperature sensitive itemsfrom the storage chamber and move the temperature sensitive items to anoutlet for collection; and an electro-mechanical module configured torotate the storage chamber about the vertical axis, thereby the storagechamber does not include any mechanical or electrical components inside,wherein: the storage chamber is surrounded by a thermal-insulatingcircumferential wall with one or more door assemblies on thethermal-insulating circumferential wall operable to allow the individualtemperature sensitive item to slide from the respective compartment tothe dispensing chamber.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theelectro-mechanical module comprises a motor shaft and one or moremounting plates for attaching the storage chamber to the motor shaft totransfer a rotational movement to the storage chamber.
 3. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the electro-mechanical module comprises a servo motoror a stepping motor.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein theelectro-mechanical module comprises a prime motor and a reduction gearassembly, wherein the prime motor is a direct current motor or analternating current motor.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein theelectro-mechanical module and the storage chamber are separated by athermal insulating plate such that the electro-mechanical moduleoperates at a temperature higher than the ultra-low temperature.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1 further comprising a cooling system having a firstcooling module and a second cooling module, wherein the first coolingmodule is configured to cool the storage chamber to the ultra-lowtemperature, and the second cooling module is configured to cool thedispensing chamber to a low temperature.
 7. The system of claim 6,wherein the cooling system comprises a compressor, a condenser, anaccumulator, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.
 8. The system ofclaim 6 further comprising a temperature feedback control unitconfigured to periodically sense temperatures of the storage chamber andthe dispensing chamber and adjust the cooling system for maintaining thestorage chamber at the ultra-low temperature and the dispensing chamberat the low temperature.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein thetemperature feedback control unit comprises a plurality of temperaturesensors positioned at a plurality of locations on a peripheral surfaceof the storage chamber for determining the temperature of the storagechamber.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of temperaturesensors is selected from a group consisting of a thermocouple, aresistance temperature detector, and a thermistor.
 11. The system ofclaim 8, wherein the temperature feedback control unit comprises one ormore dispenser temperature sensors positioned to determine thetemperature of the temperature sensitive items in the dispensingchamber.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more dispensertemperature sensors are selected from a group consisting of athermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, a thermistor, and aninfrared temperature sensor.
 13. The system of claim 8 further comprisesa display module configured to display the temperatures of the storagechamber and the dispensing chamber.
 14. The system of claim 1, whereinthe dispensing chamber comprises a vertical reciprocating mechanism anda tray, and the vertical reciprocating mechanism moves the trayvertically to one or more positions corresponding to the one or morerows of the storage chamber.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein thevertical reciprocating mechanism comprises a conveyor belt, a hydrauliccylinder, a lead screw, a ball screw, or an electrically driven pushpull rod for moving the tray vertically.
 16. The system of claim 14,wherein the vertical reciprocating mechanism comprises a positionalignment device positioned at a bottom side of the tray for detectingone or more position alignment marks to align the tray to the one ormore door assemblies.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein an individualdoor assembly comprises a sliding door, one or more push pull rods, anda control unit.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control unit isconfigured to move the sliding door along a sliding rail between an openposition and a close position.
 19. The system of claim 1, wherein theinclined bottom surface has one or more holes disposed therethrough forallowing air circulation between each of the plural compartments. 20.The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensitive items arevaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
 21. The system ofclaim 8 further comprising a main control unit configured for:activating the electro-mechanical module to rotate the storage chamber;coupling control signals to the one or more door assemblies and thedispensing chamber for moving the temperature sensitive items from thestorage chamber to the outlet; and controlling the cooling module basedon temperature data from the temperature sensors.
 22. The system ofclaim 21, wherein the main control unit comprises a feature extractionmodule configured to analyze the temperature data by extracting amaximum temperature or an average temperature from each temperaturesensors, wherein the feature extraction module performs time-domainanalysis on the temperature data.
 23. The system of claim 22, whereinthe time-domain analysis determines a standard deviation and apeak-to-peak temperature difference for each temperature sensors over ashort period of time.
 24. The system of claim 21 further comprising awireless communication interface connected to the main control unit andconfigured for communicating with external devices or a cloud database.